Lincoln’s Bat Mitzvah

Congregation Emanu-El (and many other synagogues) restricts photos during Mitzvah ceremonies primarily to maintain focus, reverence, and sanctity of the religious service. It’s a way of preventing distractions for the family, clergy, and community…and ensuring the Bat Mizvah feels present. For these reasons, most congregagions allow dedicated photo sessions before the service for professional photos.

With Lincoln’s Mitzvah coming up this weekend, I joined her and her family on Friday evening for one of these photo sessions. We met at Emanu-El, where the beautiful campus offers tons of great spots for family portraits, as well as portraits of Lincoln in her elegant black dress. As the sun began to set, we went inside to meet up with Rabbi Ravski, who graciously gave us access to the sanctuary where I could get shots of Lincoln while she practiced her speach and read from the Torah.

It was a lot of fun getting to know Lincoln and her family! It was an honor capturing these special moments for them. And I can’t wait to finish editing and sharing the photos from her party on Saturday!!! 🙂

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Stovall Family on Daniel Island

Capturing family moments is always a joy! I had the pleasure of photographing the Stovall Family this week at their stunning home overlooking the marsh on Daniel Island. It had been 8 years since they had family portraits done. But this year was special since their daughter is a rising high-school senior, and they wanted some senior portraits for her. The picturesque setting provided the perfect backdrop for this memorable session, creating a serene atmosphere that showcased the family’s love and connection.

Using my Nikon Z9 paired with the versatile Nikkor Z 24-120 f4 lens allowed me to capture the beautiful details and emotions during our time together. The natural light streaming through the trees was complemented by my Godox AD200 flashe, ensuring every shot was perfectly lit. I utilized a Glow EZ Lock Softbox to soften the light, creating a flattering and warm ambiance that highlighted their amazing smiles.

Throughout the session, we shared laughter and stories, making the experience not just about photography but about celebrating the family bonds. The Stovall Family’s warmth and enthusiasm were contagious, making it a truly enjoyable shoot for me, and making me feel like part of the family. I even kicked the soccer ball around with the boys while we waited for their daughter to change!

I’m grateful for the opportunity to create lasting memories for the Stovalls in such a breathtaking location…preserving these special moments for years to come!

Shannon’s Nursing School Graduation Photos

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet and photograph Shannon to celebrate her graduation from nursing school at Emory University School of Medicine. It was an exciting milestone, and I was thrilled to capture this special moment in her life. We explored the scenic backdrop of historic downtown Charleston, where we made stops at the picturesque Joe Riley Waterfront Park, the charming French Quarter, and the iconic Rainbow Row. Each location offered a unique flair that perfectly complemented Shannon’s vibrant personality.

For this session, I relied on my trusty Nikon Z9, renowned for its high resolution and stunning color rendition. The camera pulled out every detail, presenting Shannon in her best light. To enhance the natural beauty of the moment, I occasionally augmented the available light with a Godox V860II speedlight, ensuring that her radiant smile and the scenic backgrounds shone brightly in the images.

Capturing these moments for Shannon was a joy, and I am honored to be part of such a significant celebration. Congratulations, Shannon, on your remarkable achievement! I wish you all the best as you embark on your nursing career.

Brandy & Dan’s Beach Wedding on IOP

Capturing Brandy & Dan’s beautiful beach wedding on Isle of Palms was an absolute pleasure!!!

With 30 years of experience as a professional wedding photographer, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing countless unforgettable moments. But Brandy and Dan’s intimate beach wedding on IOP truly touched my heart. Set against the stunning backdrop of this serene barrier island, the ceremony was a perfect blend of natural beauty and heartfelt emotion. It was an intimate affair with 20 of their closest family and friends, creating a warm, loving atmosphere that felt more like a family reunion than a typical wedding.

Brandy & Dan rented a charming beach house to serve as the backdrop for their big day. I was thrilled to capture all the special moments of their ceremony on the soft, breezy sand right in front of it. The gentle waves, blue skies, and candid laughter added to the magic of the day. I loved documenting every smile, every meaningful glance, and the affectionate exchanges that made this celebration so unique. My favorite was the touching sand ceremony, where each of their lovely children blended layers of various colored sands into an amazing piece of art…much the same way that Brandy & Dan have blended their two families! Moments like these remind me why I love this profession—preserving love stories in their most genuine form.

It was an absolute joy to be part of Brandy and Dan’s beautiful beginning. I left inspired by their love, their commitment, and their unique connection that made this wedding truly special.

Eva’s Bat Mizvah Reception at the Segra Club at Riley Park

After Eva’s heartfelt Bat Mitzvah ceremony at KKBE Synagogue, we all reconnected at the Segra Club at Riley Park, which is a really cool event venue at The Joe baseball stadium. Perched above Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, enclosed by glass walls with unparalleled views of the Ashley River marsh and the home field of the Charleston RiverDogs, this was the perfect location to celebrate such a special day for Eva and her family!

Arriving early to capture some detail and drone shots, I then met up with Eva and her family for a few family portraits before guests arrived. Victoria, the event manager at Segra Club, gave us exclusive access to the field and the dugout for some really cool shots! Returning to the event space, beautifully decorated by Sha Sha at Loluma, it was so much fun to see the excitement on everyone’s faces as they began arriving. Soon the place was packed with an air of excitement, love, and friendship!

After a warm introduction and welcome by Eva’s parents, the Segra Club’s kitchen opened up some incredibly tasty food stations. Betsey from Pop the Bubbly Events did an awesome job keeping everyone organized and on-schedule. And Josh from Charleston Event Pros cranked the tunes and kept the party rockin’ all night long! My favorite part came when he turned up “Hava Nagilah”, kicking off the traditional circle dance, before Eva and her family were hoisted up into the air one by one on a chair. The Hora is a symbolic tradition that celebrates the Bat Mitzvah, expressing everyone’s joy and support for Eva!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Eva!!! This evening truly was an amazing celebration of your life, and the beautiful young woman you have become…

Eva’s Bat Mizvah at KKBE Synagogue

I had the absolute pleasure of capturing Eva’s bat mitzvah at the beautiful KKBE Synagogue in downtown Charleston this weekend. From the moment I arrived, the vibrant energy and joyful spirit of the celebration were contagious.

I met up with Eva and her family early that morning to capture a few family portraits and individual shots of Eva. She was beautifully dressed in a lovely blue floral pattern. Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue has a gorgeous old historic campus with great backdrops for photography. KKBE is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located on Hassel Street. Having founded the congregation in 1749, it is known as the first Reform synagogue located in the United States.

After family portraits, everyone went inside to prepare for the ceremony. Eva was radiant, and her smile lit up the entire sanctuary as she read from the Torah, marking an important milestone in her spiritual journey. The synagogue’s stunning architecture provided a gorgeous backdrop for heartfelt photos of this special day, capturing both intimate moments and lively celebrations. It was clear that Eva and Rabbi Alexander had a close connection. Several touching moments between student and rabbi, as well as between Eva and her parents, brought me close to tears. But when Eva and her little sister embraced after Nora helped her big sis cover the Torah, I lost it! There is nothing so touching as the love between two sisters.

Following the ceremony, we headed to the fellowship hall for a Kiddush lunch, where the atmosphere was full of love, laughter, and excitement. Guests gathered around tables laden with delicious traditional foods, sharing stories and creating memories. I loved documenting the candid interactions and joyful expressions that truly showcased the significance of this occasion for Eva and her family. It’s always a privilege to be part of such meaningful events.  And I’m grateful to have been able to preserve these precious memories for this wonderful family. Moments like these remind me why I love my job—celebrating faith, family, and community through my lens.

Later that evening, we all met for a fun reception at the Segra Club above The Joe! But that’s a story for another post…

Gracie’s Senior Portraits at Hampton Park

When my friend Melissa reached out to ask if I would photograph her cousin’s Senior Portraits, I said ABSOLUTELY!!! We’ve known Melissa since the early days when we first moved back to Charleston. She and Cami used to work together at Picture This One Hour Photo and Dennis Munn Photography! Who remembers where THAT was?!? Fast forward and here we are, still connected after all these years. 🙂

I met up with Melissa, Gracie, and her sister at Hampton Park on a beautiful summer evening. Gracie was an absolute joy to work with! It was fun to tap into her energy, excitement, and sense of adventure. Plus it didn’t hurt that she was absolutely gorgeous!!! We moved quickly, and managed to explore the whole park, while still switching into three different outfits. What a pleasure it was to catch up with Melissa, and photograph these beautiful memories of this special time in Gracie’s life!

Everyone say CONGRATULATIONS to Gracie!!! We wish her all the best as she embarks on this next big adventure in life…

Bales Family at The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island

I love an adventurous family!!! In spite of the afternoon thunderstorms, the radar indicated there “might” be a break in the showers just long enough for us to get our family beach session in. So I called Tammy and she said “LET’S GO FOR IT!!!” 🙂

I met up with the Bales’ clan at The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island. With ages ranging from 15-21, and potentially serious relationships blossoming, who knows when the next time everyone will be together again? Some will be heading off to college? Others might be starting their own families soon? Maybe one of them decides to travel Europe next summer? You just never know at this age. So it was particularly rewarding to be a part of this wonderful evening, with the proud grandparents surrounded by their lovely daughters, their handome sons-in-law, and all their amazing grandchildren!

The weather was touch-and-go, with dark clouds all around us, and dim lighting conditions to work with. But strategic use of higher iso settings on my Z9, combined with careful use of an off-camera Flashpoint eVolve 200 flash, brought out the gorgeous colors of their outfits, and lit up their beautiful smiles. The photos actually turned out extra dramatic as a result! The best part was, the rains stayed away long enough for us to complete our session. I’m so glad we took Tammy’s advice to go for it!!!

Garman Family Beach Portraits on Kiawah Island

What a SMALL WORLD!!!

Last evening I had the pleasure of photographing beach portraits for the Garman family while they were vacationing on Kiawah Island. The amazing part is they are from Troy, OH…which is where Cami is from!!! In fact, Cami’s family lived on Dorset Rd…which is where one of the Garman daughters and her family lives! I met Cami while she lived in Troy. We were married in Troy. And one of her brothers still lives in Troy. What a cool coincidence to meet up with this beautiful family from “back home”!

The afternoon showers swept through Kiawah earlier that afternoon, cooling things off a bit for us. Plus the beautiful clouds and nice soft light left behind from the storm made for a lovely evening to be on the beach. We could still see the distant lightning lighting up the sky across the ocean as the rain clouds drifted away.

Many thanks to Moxie and her family for bringing back fond memories of Troy for me!!!

South Carolina Convenience & Petroleum Marketers Association at Sweetgrass Inn

Every summer I look forward to photographing this fun event at the Sweetgrass Inn on Wild Dunes Resort for the South Carolina Convenience & Petroleum Marketers Association.

SC-CPMA is the voice of the petroleum & convenience store industry in South Carolina. They serve their members by lobbying the General Assembly, multiple state agencies and the Congressional delegation on issues that impact the industry. Among the top issues they address are: underground and above-ground tank regulations, the SUPERB Fund, tobacco, alcohol, lottery sales, fuel taxes and much more.

The photography for this program is sponsored by Coca Cola Consolidated. What I do is bring out two photographers with two separate Portrait Stations for guests to choose from…one location is outdoors with an environmental background, the other is indoors with a studio background. My good friend and amazing photographer, Robbin, always photographs the indoors setup…while I sweat to death photographing the outdoors setup! 🙂 After we’ve photographed each couple or family, we print out beautiful 5×7 portraits of each, and place them in an elegant black folio. The prints are placed on a table for guests to take home as a keepsake at the end of the evening. Everyone loves the instant gratification!

Eva’s Bat Mitzvah Portraits

In a few short months, I’ll have the honor of photographing Eva’s bat mitzvah!!!

Bat mitzvah is Hebrew for “daughter of commandment.” When a Jewish girl turns 12, she has all the rights and obligations of a Jewish adult, including the commandments of the Torah. From that date forward, she takes her place in the Jewish community. This milestone in her life, called a bat mitzvah, is often celebrated with creative projects, meaningful gatherings, a special ceremony and of course a joyous celebration afterwards!

To help commemorate this special chapter in Eva’s life, her beautiful family joined her for a fun photo session at Hampton Park. She’ll be able to use these photos in her announcement cards for her celebration later this year. But more importantly, the whole family will have these wonderful memories preserved for all eternity, as Eva grows from this amazing girl she is today into the even more incredible woman she will become!!!

Muro Family at Wild Dunes Beach

I’ve been photographing the Muro Family at their annual vacations to Charleston for many years. But each year it seems there’s always someone missing. Whether a family member was studying abroad, traveling, or just sick…it we always seem to be missing someone. But this year, we actually had EVERYONE TOGETHER!!!

It was so much fun catching up with the Muro family. They always treat me like family. And photographing their beach portrait session is always a highlight of my summer!!!